Hitchhiker ID help

[jtma508]

So the tank has been pretty boring as the cycle plods along. But this morning this guy showed up:

I've tried finding him online but no luck so far. I'd estimate his girth at perhaps 1/4-3/8in and his length at maybe 3-4in (although he's curled-up on himself so it's hard to estimate length). Any ideas anyone??

 

[Richard]

Maybe a peanut worm?

 

[jtma508]

Don't think it's a peanut worm. Seems too large and I can't find a picture or anything like this online. The 'head-dress' is pretty distinctive.

 

[Jennifer]

IMO it looks like some sort of medusa worm.
Tho I have never seen 1 in person.
Cool pic by the way.

 

[jtma508]

Someone on RC suggested a medusa worm but all the pics I've turned-up of them show long, whiteish singular 'antennae'. This guy's headdress is bright red (as you can see) and pretty short and fillagree-like.

 

[Jennifer]

This is all I can find at the moment.
The worm in the pic here is a medusa worm but the headdress is different.

 

[jtma508]

OK. If the critter wasn't already weird enough check this out...

I noticed that weird thingy seemingly on it's tail end. THen it suddenly was expelled and drifted away in the tank. Not sure where it went or what it is.

Here's another better picture of the critter:

 

[Jennifer]

Did you ever see the original "ALIEN" movie. Thats what it reminds me of.

Geez no dinner for me tonight.


Kidding that is a really weird thing for sure.

 

[jtma508]

Yea. Keep in mind my tank is just a couple weeks into cycle. This sucker is probably a baby. What if it grows? I mean grows really BIG? I can just see me waking-up ion the middle of the night and seeing that looming over the foot of my bed!!

 

[Jennifer]

omg that would give me a heart attack.

You may want isolate that thing till you can get a confirmed id.
Or in case it multiplies like gremlins.

 

[ReeferMedic]

Almost looks like some kind of tube worm that has left it's tube for what ever reason.

 

[jtma508]

Almost looks like some kind of tube worm that has left it's tube for what ever reason.

Really? Can you find a picture of a tube worm with 'feathers' like this one's? I can't find anything online that looks like it. I'd love to know before it disappears into the sandbed or rock work.

 

[Scott]

That "head" is looking a lot more to me like a sea cucumber than a worm.

 

[bigdog]

im with scott

 

[jtma508]

I agree. Which one? A cookie for whoever can come up with a picture.

 

[JayM]

omg that would give me a heart attack.

You may want isolate that thing till you can get a confirmed id.
Or in case it multiplies like gremlins.

don't feed it after midnight, whatever you do.....

 

[jtma508]

OK we have an answer. According to Leslie Harris of the LA Natural History Museum the mystery creature is a terebellid polychaete. Apparently he has left his tube (someone mentioned this possibility earlier) and is in distress (duh! The tank is cycling, Hello?). She also thinks that the spikey thingy it expelled is some sort of parasitic pod (kinda large for a pod, no?).

 

[alpha0r]

OK we have an answer. According to Leslie Harris of the LA Natural History Museum the mystery creature is a terebellid polychaete. Apparently he has left his tube (someone mentioned this possibility earlier) and is in distress (duh! The tank is cycling, Hello?). She also thinks that the spikey thingy it expelled is some sort of parasitic pod (kinda large for a pod, no?).

I'm thinking that I wouldn't want anything labeled "parasitic pod" in my tank!

 

[wbrodeur]

maybe it is just baby of it...don't many organisms reproduce under stress? Definitely something from Alien...just watched Alien vs. Predator..I would definitely isolate it, put it in small plastic aquarium in tank or something, and keep an eye on it. Don't dispose of it yet...it could be something really cool, cool right now but kindof like cool but is it going to kill me kindof way lol